Archived General DB Blogs

Article

Rocky Mountain Bikes Launches 2012 Line

Posted: Jul 11 2011

Rocky Mountain Bikes Launches 2012 Line

At BC Bike Race in Squamish, July 8th

Being a Silver sponsor at the BC Bike Race, it was fitting that the Rocky Mountain decided to do their 2012 launch after the race on day six, close to home in beautiful Squamish. It was a perfect environment that gave dealers such as Different Bikes the chance to experience an amazing event and meet the RMB team. Rocky had their whole 2012 line on display at the Squamish Adventure Centre. Lots of eye candy indeed. The two new additions to the RMB line are the 2012 Element including a 29" wheel version and the Vertex, now only available in carbon with 29" wheels.

2012 Element

The 2012 Element 26” (120mm rear travel) and Element 29” (95mm rear travel) share many of the same technologies of Element RSL and MSL. The 26" shares the same geometry as the MSL. For Element 29”, Rocky developed a new RTC (Race Tuned Compact) 29 Geometry. RTC-29 features super short chain stays and wheelbase for maximum agility in tight, technical terrain in addition to shorter 29er top tubes to give a cockpit that feels more like a 26” wheeled bike. RTC-29 also includes a 70.6 degree head tube angle, less BB drop and a wider fit range (5'3" to 6'6").

Both bikes boast Rocky Mountain’s patented SmoothLink™ suspension (thier key to to bob-free suspension), ABC™ pivot technology and Custom FORM™ Tubeset. For 2012, RMB took what they learned in carbon and applied it to 7005 aluminum, a material that Rocky Mountain is renowned for pioneering in the use of high performance frames.

Frame features include: Compact Frame Design, BB-92 (the wide BB92 bottom bracket shell allows for a larger junction with the down tube and seat tube, increasing stiffness), Tapered Head Tube, Internal Cable Routing, E-Type Direct Mount Front Derailleur, E-Thru 142 x 12mm Rear Axle on Element 29, Seat Collar Sleeve, Integrated Sag Indicator, Custom Anti Chain Drop Plate and Cable guides for dropper posts.

Rocky Mountain 2012 Element 70, 26" Aluminum

Rocky Mountain 2012 Element 970, 29" Aluminum

2012 Vertex

New this year, Rocky's flagship hardtail carbon race bike is only available as a 29er.

The 2012 Vertex frame design points include a massive down tube, a wide and flat top tube, minimalist seat stays, tapered & curved seat tube and a 27.2mm seatpost. The Vertex uses a custom Rocky Mountain FORM™ C13 High Modulus SmoothWall™ construction. 100% designed, engineered and tested in house by the RMB R&D team to ensure the lightest, stiffest frame and the best ride quality. The most important characteristic of SmoothWall™ technology is that it enables RMB to construct frames with the highest carbon layup density. Vertex RSL utilizes a precise carbon layup schedule, using multiple types of carbon weaves in specific locations to maximize stiffness and impact resistance while minimizing weight.

Similar to the Element 29" line, The new Vertex was also built using using Rocky Mountain's new RTC-29 Geometry including a super short wheelbase and chain stay length, a shortened top tube, 70.25 degree head tube angle, less BB drop and a wider fit range (5'3" to 6'4").

Rocky Mountain 2012 Vertex 990 RSL